Information: Sida stopped emergency aid after the text message from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The government’s State Secretary Diana Janse tried to influence Sida’s handling of Unrwa.

This is shown by logs that SVT’s 30 minutes has seen. 

– There is no information that I am aware of, says Minister of Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa in 30 minutes. 

The Green Party’s Amanda Lind wants the suspicions of ministerial rule to be investigated.  Saw Greta Thunberg’s Gaza trip: “Complete madness”

On 20 December 2024, it was announced that the Swedish government would stop supporting the UN agency Unrwa. The minister responsible, Benjamin Dousa (M), justified the decision by saying that the new laws adopted by Israel “greatly complicate and in the long term may even make Unrwa’s operations completely impossible”.

However, the decision has received much criticism and, among others, Sida believes that Unrwa’s activities are crucial for emergency aid.

The authority wants to pay out 30 million in urgent emergency aid this spring and one thought of informing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about it.

Instructs Sida not to pay out support

But before the letter reached the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sida’s Director General received a text message from the State Secretary for Development Cooperation, Diana Janse.

30 minutes has taken note of the text message: “I have spoken with my colleagues about any possible submission from you regarding Palestine and it can be stated that it does not contribute to anything here.”

Janse further points out that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not want Sida to make any written documentation of its view on the matter: “We know that, without a paper trail, since you informed me.”

Paper trail is usually translated as traceability or traceable documents.

According to information provided to SVT, Diana Janse also instructed the Director General in a verbal conversation not to pay any support to Unrwa.

Shortly after the text message to the Sida manager was sent, and after being directly instructed by Janse, the authority writes that they have made a “comprehensive assessment” and that they have concluded that no support should be paid to Unrwa.

MP: Suspicion of ministerial rule

When Dousa is asked in Thursday’s 30 Minutes what the State Secretary means by “We know it, without a paper trail,” the minister replies that he does not know.

– It’s nothing that I know of, and I’m not involved in all the conversations that take place via my State Secretary and Sida’s Director General.

Amanda Lind, spokesperson for the Green Party, reacts strongly to the information and writes in a comment to Expressen that “the mere suspicion of ministerial rule is serious and must be investigated to the bottom.”

“Instead of listening to their expert authority, they are trying to prevent them from submitting documentation on how the aid can best be delivered. And there are far too many question marks surrounding the government’s governance of Sida.”

She further writes that she believes that “the entire government’s handling of the Gaza issue is a moral collapse” and that “confidence in the Minister of Development Cooperation is exhausted.”